Fraternities and Sororities Must Agree to Guidelines and Meet February Timeline for Reinstatement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 02-14-2013

Joe Wills
Public Affairs
530-898-4143

Members of social Greek letter organizations at California State University, Chico received the policies this week that chapters must agree to if they wish to be reinstated.

The students received a timeline of mandatory tasks necessary for reinstatement, new guidelines for holding events, and an agreement defining how fraternities and sororities will be structured and operated in order to be recognized by the University.

Chapter presidents this week also received a letter with instructions for following the new accreditation process required of social Greek chapters. The organizations must maintain high standards of service, scholarship, leadership, integrity, community and diversity and inclusion to be recognized.

While the reinstatement process takes place during the spring 2013 semester, chapters will not be able to hold social events or take part in intramural sports. Community service programs can take place upon approval from the University’s Student Life and Leadership office and the national and regional offices of the fraternity and sorority chapters.

Successful completion of requirements during February will mean fraternities and sororities can begin member recruitment and reinstall or uncover their Greek letters on chapter houses in March.

Among the new policies for fraternities and sororities are minimum one- or two-semester suspensions for policy violations, depending on the severity of the incident; midyear reviews for chapters deemed at risk; and mandatory trainings and meetings with chapter advisers.

The guidelines include requirements for holding chapter events and attributes that define a chapter event, such as held at a residence, defined as an annex, where two or more chapter members live.

“These new guidelines and policies require our Greek chapters to fulfill what it means to be campus leaders,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Drew Calandrella. “By meeting these requirements, they have the opportunity to earn the respect and admiration of our campus and community.”

“I am very proud of the course we have set with our fraternities and sororities and for our University,” said President Paul Zingg. “We want to achieve something that we said almost eight years ago -- we will either have an exemplary Greek system, or we will have none at all.”

All social Greek chapters at CSU, Chico were suspended indefinitely Nov. 15, 2012, following a series of incidents including alcohol policy violations, allegations of hazing, alleged assaults and other violations of rules. Representatives of the fraternities and sororities attended meetings Feb. 2 informing them of the University requirements necessary for reinstatement.